HANDS 39 



The horse should now be taught, after raisins his 

 head to the snaffle, to bring in his chin, and yield to the 

 pressure of the bit, until the line of his face is per- 

 pendicular to the ground. This is done by strongly 

 closing the fingers on the curb reins and increasing the 

 tension until the mouth is just felt ; the pressure after- 

 wards varying exactly with the force of the horse's 

 resistance, which should be overcome by the pressure 

 "of the knees, or the touch of the spurs, close behind the 

 girths. 



When the horse yields readily to the bit, he should 

 be trained to keep his head in position with a relaxed 

 jaw for a prolonged period, the rider closing his thumb 

 on the reins whenever the horse resists, and easing the 

 hand the moment he yields. In this way is obtained 

 that mobility of the lower jaw which constitutes a 

 perfect mouth ; but the rider must see that the horse 

 yields his lower jaw to the bit before bending his neck 

 to it. 



If a horse sees anything he is uncertain about, the 

 rider should lean slightly forward, close his legs gently, 

 yet firmly, so as to give him confidence and press him 

 forward, being careful not to check him with the hand, 

 which should ease the reins and be absolutely steady. 

 If the -horse should then shy, the rider can catch him 

 by simply closing the fingers on the reins, and then, 

 with the aid of the outside leg and the outside rein 

 drawn across the neck, bring him back to his proper 

 position ; but the rider should do all in his power to 

 make the horse move straight forward when .he is 

 inclined to shy, and even if he dashes on at a gallop he 

 should not check him. 



It is a mistake to pull a horse back on to his hocks 

 when he is nervous, and it is more in accordance with 



